Trehalose is a known non-reducing disaccharide composed of D+glucose units. It is a white, odorless, sweet-tasting powder and, like maltose, is about 45% as sweet as sugar and has a very low hydroscopicity (moisture attraction). Trehalose is found in honey, bread, beer and seafood and there are several prior art patents relating to various uses of trehalose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,164 discloses cosmetic compositions containing trehalose which increase the penetration of certain therapeutically beneficial ingredients into the skin thereby enhancing the therapeutic effects of those ingredients on the skin. The trehalose is used in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and several trehalose-containing formulations are disclosed in said patent, such as shampoo formulations, hair-conditioning formulations, skin care gel formulations, lotions, and skin care creams.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,543,513 discloses the use of anhydrous trehalose as a desiccant for dehydrating various products such as dehydrated food as well as dehydrated pharmaceuticals. High-quality food products having reduced moisture content can be prepared by incorporating anhydrous trehalose into food products having relatively high moisture content thereby converting the anhydrous trehalose into hydrous crystalline trehalose.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,526 discloses an ophthalmic pharmaceutical composition comprising trehalose as the effective ingredient. As disclosed in said patent, there are three types of optical isomers of trehalose, i.e., ∝,∝-trehalose, ∝,β-trehalose and β,β-trehalose. All isomers exert therapeutic and/or prophylactic effect on signs of Sjorgen syndrome.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,170 discloses a crystalline trehalose dihydrate with low hydroscopicity. Variety of uses are disclosed for the crystalline trehalose dihydrate, including its use as a sweetener, taste-improving agent, in feeds and pet foods for animals, in soaps, skin creams, body shampoos, hair creams, moisture-controlling agent and a host of other uses disclosed in said patent.
Notwithstanding a variety of uses of trehalose disclosed in the prior art patents, none, so far is known, recognize the efficacy of trehalose for use in a topical drying composition.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to use trehalose in a topical drying composition.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a topical drying composition containing trehalose as the effective ingredient for sweat removal.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a topical drying composition containing effective amount of trehalose and a suitable carrier.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of drying the skin by the topical application of trehalose-containing composition in which trehalose is the effective skin drying ingredient.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the ensuing description and illustrative examples.